Millenarium is an early-music instrumental ensemble directed by organist Christophe Deslignes and percussionist Thierry Gomar. Personnel on the albums listed above have ranged from just the pair ( The Masters of the Florentine Organetto , on Trecento organ music) to seven musicians ( Libre Vermell, Danza ) with other groups added for specific projects ( Libre Vermell, Carmina Burana: Officium Lusorum , etc.). Millenarium has focused on the late medieval/early Renaissance end of the early-music spectrum in the 13th and 14th centuries, paying particular attention to the scholarly reconstruction of music based on surviving commentaries, images, and a close study of both classical and folk traditions. None of this conveys the vitality, period sense of style, or improvisational skill that these recordings supply.

If you aren’t familiar with the group, then taken together, their performances probably come closest to those of the Boston Camerata in terms of program design and stylistic approach. In Joy and Douce amie , longer songs alternate with short dances, and an Arabic influence upon the latter is pronounced. Successive strophes of songs are performed with vocal improvisation and without instrumental shifts in the accompaniment, though Deslignes writes of “light cutting” to avoid monotony for modern audiences. (There’s much debate over whether troubadours and trouvères varied ornamentation or accompaniment during lengthy songs, but evidence is lacking for any conclusions—and indeed, may never have existed. Variations in performance over time and place may well have existed.) Although spoken word isn’t used as binder as the Boston Camerata does, there is a palpable sense of theater in most of these albums, in the sense of the spectator/listener being drawn in to a highly expressive, self-referential world.

The most distinctive of the included albums in this respect is the Carmina Burana: Officium Lusorum disc. Where the Carmina Burana: Tempus transit… album is concerned with philosophy, and sacred and secular love, Officium Lusorum attempts (with the assistance of research by Pierre-Emmanuel Guilleray) to recreate a Mass of the Fools—part of the All Fools Day, or Feast of the Fools, that the Roman Catholic Church tolerated while it had to, as an inheritance of the pagan Roman Hilaria Matris Deûm , and then slowly strangled as its secular power base grew. Millenarium sets the framework of their re-creation between Christmas and 12th Night, in 13th-century northern France, by which time the Ordinary of the Mass was considered sacrosanct, and is surrounded here by goliard-inspired parody. The result is an accurate performance of Mass organum, providing the greatest possible contrast to lively dances and satiric literary content, sometimes bitingly so—as in the calling down of God’s curses upon all those, secular and sacred, who are avaricious and refuse to support beggars: “Effunde, domine, iram tuam super avaros et tenaces…”

The musical side of this humor includes but is not limited to over-elaborate vocal ornamentation, grotesque slurring between notes, gasping breaths between phrases of off-pitch plainchant, foreign cultural interpolations, and folk style improvisations on top of chant. In bloodless print this sounds repetitive and dull, but the performers manage to sustain several cuts of this, among them one lasting 24 minutes. Various groups have recorded similar efforts over the years, most memorably René Clemencic and his Clemencic Consort (currently on Harmonia Mundi 195335), but I find Millenarium’s version just as lively if more dramatic due to internal contrasts with the Ordinary. As always where perceptions of humor are concerned, your mileage may differ.

I have nothing but praise for Ricercar’s inclusion of the copious cut listings and liner notes from each of the albums, but shouldn’t they have considered adding a contents page? The 111-page, French and English booklet simply offers one album’s listings and notes after another. With no easy method to locate any album save the first, it’s a bit of a chore finding what you want. Texts and translations would have been helpful, as well, both in the Carmina Burana material, and the work of the troubadours and trouvères. That aside, highly recommended. There are no right or wrong ways to perform this music, anachronisms and technical deficiencies to one side, and Millenarium’s way with all of it is both thoroughly researched and refreshingly direct.

mercoledì 23 dicembre 2015

A grand teathricality in her manner that generates memorable moments (…) will make the most immediate impact on listeners" Gramophone

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's Rosary Sonatas (or Mystery Sonatas) c. 1678 are unlike anything else in the violin literature, with scordatura, or unconventional instrument tuning, exhaustively explored in the fifteen-piece cycle, each sonata utilizing a different tuning. Each sonata represents one of the Catholic Rosary Mysteries. As the music reaches its spiritual climax in the "Resurrection" sonata, Biber specifies the violin be played with its two central strings crossed. Accompanying Lina Tur Bonet, an exciting younger generation violinist, is her ensemble Musica Alchemica.

lunedì 10 agosto 2015

I'm leaving tomorrow for my holidays.
Until now it's been a pleasure to attend
to this blog. And I hope you got some
fun with it too. I'll be back again aroundseptember 10th.Hopefully I'll have a lot of new energy to spend with this blog, I know I left itapart in the last months... Enjoy yourself! (sure I will).

sabato 8 agosto 2015

It may come as a surprise to learn that a number of Mozart soprano arias were originally written for the powerhouse voice of the castrato. Mozart's career, in fact, coincided with the beginning of the end for the castrato tradition, and the final piece included here, "Voi che sapete" from Le nozze di Figaro, was in fact not written for a castrato; by 1786 they were becoming scarce. Romanian countertenor Valer Sabadus' recital is short at just under 50 minutes, and the blooming sacred aria Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165, which was written for one of the castrati whose careers are represented here, might have made a stronger finale. This aside, many lovers of Mozart opera will appreciate this release. It's not just the attractively smooth, if a bit monochromatic, voice of Sabadus, which has plenty of delicacy in quieter upper-register passages. It's the chance to hear arias like "Non ho colpa" from Idomeneo, rè di Creta, K. 366, where the male voice suggests a different kind of balance with the dense, energetic orchestral writing that characterizes this over-the-top opera seria. The alert, adequately sized support from the re-creation-Großes Orchester Graz under Michael Hofstetter is also a plus here, and there's no denying that the creamy singing of Sabadus is a pleasure to hear in the lighter comic-opera pieces earlier in the program. Oehms delivers very nice sound from a pair of live recitals in a concert hall in Graz in December 2013. Presenters distressed by audience coughing may wish to retain Stefianiensaal personnel as consultants: they somehow managed to suppress every trace of it.

mercoledì 5 agosto 2015

"Servaas de Koninck was an immigrant, like many of his collegues in late 17th century Amsterdam. Born in 1654 in Dendermonde, Flanders, he served from 1663 until 1665 as a chorister in St. Jacob's Church in Ghent. From 1675 he studied at Louvain University, and settled in Brussels five years later. He moved to Amsterdam in 1685, where he frequented the theatrical circles of society. He died in 1701, not yet fifty years old. He was a a relatively productive composer, leaving behind seven opus numbers of varying sorts of music. Estienne Roger of Amsterdam published them all between 1696 and 1699. There are extant collections of sonatas for one and two flutes, with and without figured bass; the choruses for the tragedy Athalie of the French playwright Racine; two sets of trios; the Dutch love and drinking songs; and a volume of motets. Several more individual works in both manuscript and print can also be attributed to de Koninck.Although the names of most of de Koninck's 'librettists' are known, the identity of the poet who wrote the lyrics for the Dutch love and drinking songs remains unknown. Characteristic of de Konincks Dutch love-and drinking songs are the explicit and frequent indications of French style and Italian style. The French style clearly harks back to Lully, with an introverted and refined style, an idiom de Koninck had fully mastered. The Italian style is exuberant and expressive, but in this publication markedly less frequent. Even so, this juxtaposition of styles typifies the international and eclectic musical environment found in Amsterdam at the end of the seventeenth century."

domenica 2 agosto 2015

Early-music pioneers Charivari Agréable perform an engaging collection of overtures from Italian Baroque Opera, best described by Kah-Ming Ng as being “lucidly crafted for the purpose of turning heads”.

In a decadent era when the antics of theatre-goers were often as intriguing as the performances taking place on stage, these works were composed with the express intention of thrilling, beguiling and engaging an often hard-to-impress audience.

venerdì 31 luglio 2015

In line with a previous project, Early Dreams, it is the pages left by another marvellous composer and singer that Constantinople has taken the liberty of reinventing this time around. A worthy heiress of Monteverdi, Renaissance Venetian madrigalist Barbara Strozzi created a secular vocal repertoire that intoxicates the senses. A joyful and salutary delirium for music lovers!

mercoledì 29 luglio 2015

Nowadays nobody seems to remember about Pietro Nardini (1722-1793), but during his lifetime his renown was great, reaching beyond the boundaries of his native Italy. The recordings of his works made up to this day have nearly all been fortuitous, often based on unreliable editions. The present CD, on the contrary, offers four of Nardini’s compositions for violin and orchestra - three of which never published before - which have been recorded following criteria that are rigorously faithful to the originals. These are works of excellent musical quality; no less outstanding is the violin writing of this Tuscan composer who, in his day, was considered one of the finest violinists in existence. Leopold Mozart, who heard him in 1763, commented: ”The beauty, purity and evenness of his sound, and the refinement of his cantabile cannot be equalled.”

lunedì 27 luglio 2015

Canadian superstar soprano Karina Gauvin pays tribute to baroque diva Anna Maria Strada del Pò, singing rarities by Vinci, Vivaldi and some of the greatest Handel arie di bravura. Like Strada del Pò in her prime, Miss Gauvin sings this repertoire with powerful expression and brilliant technique, in particular, the trills for which Strada del Pò was renowned. More than thirteen opera roles were created by Handel for Strada del Pò (including Sosarme, Orlando, and Alcina).

Karina Gauvin has impressed audiences and critics the world over with her luscious timbre, profound musicality and wide vocal range. The Globe and Mail calls her “one of the dream sopranos of our time.” The Sunday Times in London also wrote: “Her glinting soprano, bright-edged yet deliciously rounded and sensual, is used with rare understanding for character... ”

sabato 25 luglio 2015

Admired by Leopold Mozart and a student of Giuseppe Tartini, Pietro Nardini (1722-1793) was an outstanding violinist. The music historian, Charles Burney, preferred Nardini's playing to Paganini's. Born in Fibiana, Italy, he held positions in Stuttgart and Württemberg before returning to Italy to become the Music Director of the court at Florence upon Tartini's death. Not surprisingly, many of his compositions feature the violin as a solo instrument, and these six string quartets, the only ones he ever wrote, place the violin front and center.

Noted for his cantabile playing style, his adagios in these works reflect that preference in their aria-like treatment. Two quartets are in three movements while the other four contain only two.

Written in A Major, Quartet No.1 opens the first movement `Allegro' with the lead violin initiating a brief, sprightly canon. In the development section, most of the melodic content is distributed among the three upper voices with the cello being relegated to supplemental accompaniment, often simple repeated notes. Marked `Comodo' or moderately, a prayerful 2nd movement follows, with the members of Quartetto Eleusi using a free form rhythm that allows the phrasing to flow like the breathing patterns of a singer. Counter melodies from the 2nd violin and the viola emerge as the movement shifts into minor, with the bass providing the harmonic underpinning.

The three movement Quartet No.2 is in C Major. After presenting the initial theme over repeated staccato notes in the bass line, a rousing orchestral unison drives the opening `Allegro' before coming to a surprisingly hushed ending. Without pause, and featuring a softly undulating accompaniment in the lower strings, a minor keyed 'Adagio' serves as a mournful respite before the final open cadence. A triple metered `Allegretto' contains a counter melody in the bass, and gives the cello a more prominent role.

In B Flat, the long flowing melodic lines of the 1st violin drift in and out of minor in the 1st movement `Allegro' of Quartet No.3. The viola supplies a restless counterpoint to the songlike structure of the primary voice. A pulsing `Andante' takes its rhythmic flow from the lead violin with the viola providing the opening thematic thrust. A solo for the cello and complex violin ornamentation give this final movement more character and individuality than in the 2 earlier quartets.

Quartet No.4 is in F Major and in three movements, unexpectedly beginning with the briefest of adagios as a seamless introduction to the merry `Allegro' that ensues. Bravura solo work from the 1st violin precedes an explosion of spirited ensemble interplay. The viola followed by the 2nd violin carry the counter melody in a wonderful response to the virtuoso lead voice. A sprightly minuet closes the piece with more emphasis on secondary themes in the lower strings.

Written in G Major, the 5th Quartet opens with a cheerful `Allegro'. After being led by the 1st violin, all four voices trip down the scale in unison, setting the stage for the some virtuosic interplay among the instruments. Shifting into minor, an elegiac `Andante legato' provides a platform for the violins to soar above the lower strings before concluding in a tender whisper.

The 6th quartet is composed in E Flat, and starts with a rousing `Allegro' driven by the urgency of repeated notes in the bass line. Unlike the early quartets, here the cello takes center stage for a brief, but appealing solo. The gentle finale with an indication of `Comodo' features interweaving of countermelodies using all four voices, but with the 1st violin predominating.

Although these quartets were published as a set in 1782, the earliest ones were probably written years before, perhaps as early as 1765. They delineate Nardini's development, always with the 1st violin as the lead voice, but with increasing prominence given to the other members of the quartet. The Italian based Quartetto Eleusi performs with spirit and skill, while the recording by Brilliant Classics is quite bright, often losing the bass line behind the upper strings.

Pietro Nardini's quartets are an excellent place to become acquainted with his work. Too long a member of the pantheon of overlooked composers of the early Classical era, he deserves more than to be just another forgotten Italian.

giovedì 23 luglio 2015

Antonio Florio’s deep understanding of the Baroque musical terrain of Naples now takes him to the dawn of the 18th century when the fervour and visceral excitement held by Neapolitans for their chief patron saint San Gennaro was at its height, in an era when the city had been ravaged by plague and was living in constant fear of eruptions from nearby Mount Vesuvius. Great devotion was directed at San Gennaro, in the belief that he would ward off further evils: a richly-adorned chapel in Naples’s cathedral was dedicated to him and provided with its own musical ensemble, and a stream of composers (often pupils of the great Francesco Provenzale) such as Cristofaro Caresana, Nicola Fago and Gaetano Veneziano worked there.

Central to the programme of I Turchini, prepared by Florio and Dinko Fabris, are performances of Fago’s four-part Stabat Mater and Caresana’s canzona Sirene festose. There is a rare outing also for a motet, Antra valles Divo plaudant, written by the young Domenico Scarlatti – three of whose string sinfonias are also included here – when he was one of the organists in the Real Cappella; musicians in Naples regularly moved in and out of different ensembles, then as now.

A booklet essay by Fabris himself splendidly underpins the popular traditions and musical and religious colour surrounding San Gennaro in a Naples still alive today; moreover, an evocation brought to potent life by the performances of Florio, with his singers and instrumentalists of I Turchini.